Diagnostic ultrasound
Diagnostic ultrasound or an ultrasound scan (USS) uses a probe placed on your body that emits high-frequency sound waves. These sound waves bounce off your body tissues and back to the probe and produce images of structures from within your body. These images can provide valuable information, that combined with clinical assessment from your therapist, can provide you with a diagnosis and inform the best course of treatment for your injury or problem.
An USS scan can be used to assess many different body parts and problems. At Wandsworth Physiotherapy we provide musculoskeletal (MSK) diagnostic ultrasound. This includes the following body parts and problems:
- Shoulder pain such as rotator cuff injuries
- Elbow pain such as golfers or tennis elbow
- Hand and wrist pain such as carpal tunnel syndrome and other tendon problems
- Hip injuries and pain
- Knee pain such as patella tendon pain and IT band pain
- Ankle ligament sprains
- Achilles tendinopathy
- Plantar fasciitis
- Muscle strains
How do ultrasound scans work?
An ultrasound probe, lubricated with ultrasound gel, is placed over the painful and surrounding areas of your body to assess the health and function of those structures. The probe emits harmless sound waves that help to generate a picture on the display screen of the ultrasound machine being used. You can’t hear or feel the sound waves used during an USS.
Ready to Make a Change?
At Wandsworth Physiotherapy & Osteopathy we're focused on getting you out of pain and back to what you love doing, from simply sitting comfortably to playing with your kids, getting back into the gym or being able to run 5k again, our expert Physiotherapists, Podiatrists & Osteopaths are here to help!
Please take note of our cancellation policy at the bottom of the page.
What do I need to do to prepare for an ultrasound scan?
For an MSK USS there is little preparation that needs to take place. Please be prepared to expose the area of body to be scanned such as wearing a pair of shorts or sports bra for women. The area to be scanned will have ultrasound gel placed over it. The ultrasound gel is often a little cold.
What happens during an ultrasound scan?
An MSK ultrasound scans lasts approximately 15 to 20 minutes. You may have an USS as part of your assessment with the clinical director when you book a physiotherapy with diagnostic ultrasound appointment. This is included in your 1 hour appointment. However, you may be referred for or request to have an USS after your initial physiotherapy appointment. In this case the diagnostic ultrasound appointment will be 2 to 30 minutes.
What happens after an ultrasound scan?
There are no after effects of having an MSK USS and you can go home as soon as the USS has finished. In most cases you will be told the results of your scan during and after it’s been carried out. However, there may be occasions where the images need to be analysed in more detail and a report will be sent to you in the following days.
We’ll discuss the results of your USS with your therapist and this can be used to clarify your diagnosis and also your treatment and home exercise plan.
Are there any risks or side effects of having an USS?
No, there are no known risks or side effects from the sound waves used in an ultrasound scan. There is no pain involved other than the often cold ultrasound gel that it sued, and sometime the pressure of the probe on your body may be a little uncomfortable.
Do we do other types of USS?
No, we only conduct an MSK USS as listed above. For clarity we do not scan:
- The heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, bowel or bladder
- The vascular system
- Anything related to pregnancy
- Lumps and bumps
- The head, neck or spine
- Hernias
Meet The Team
Andreas
Osteopath
& Massage Therapist
Francesca
Senior Chartered Physiotherapist
& Massage Therapist
Grace
Chartered Physiotherapist
& Massage Therapist
Jack
Podiatrist
Steve
Chartered Physiotherapist
& Nutritional Therapist
Wilson
Chartered
Physiotherapist
Clinic Address
338 Old York Road,
SW18 1SS
Get In Touch
Request a call back - tell us about your problem… if you’re not sure what physiotherapy or osteopathy are and whether they can help your problem request a call back from one of our expert therapists. We can listen to your problem and let you know if we can help... just leave your details using the contact form and we'll be in touch as soon as possible!
Cancellation policy
Please note we have a 24 hour cancellation policy. Please respect our Physiotherapists and Osteopaths and give them more than 24 hours notice if you need to change or cancel an appointment. Failure to do so will incur a cancellation charge and result in you needing to pre-pay for appointments thereafter.
Thank you.
Realtime Reception
Please be aware that calls to Wandsworth Physiotherapy & Osteopathy are answered by Real Time Reception Ltd on our behalf. Real Time Reception Ltd will not use or share your personal data. From 2018 all calls are recorded to comply with ICO data protection and the recordings are stored for 3 months then deleted. All stored information is password protected.
Opening Hours
| Monday | 08:00 - 20:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:00 - 20:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:00 - 20:00 |
| Thursday | 08:00 - 20:00 |
| Friday | 08:00 - 20:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00 - 13:00 |
| Sunday | 10:00 - 13:00 |
